So, We Bought a Book Shop

Maile, our three oldest kids (Cade, Lucy, and Abra) and I try to establish what books we're going to include on our upcoming "Family Favorites" bookshelf. Join us as we attempt to winnow down our list of favorites to some kind of manageable number...

Books mentioned during the conversation:

The Brothers K by David James Duncan The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Doeskoevsky Paradise by Toni Morrison James by Percival Everett Erasure by Percival Everett Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver The Giver by Lois Lowry Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese East of Eden by John Steinbeck Beartown by Fredrik Backman When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak I Am the Messenger by Marcus Zusak The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas The Road by Cormac McCarthy The Dog Stars by Peter Heller Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri The Crossover by Kwame Alexander Bud Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis 11/22/63 by Stephen King To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee The Yearling by Marjorie Rawlings Connect with us!

Order From Our Bookshop.org Page! Upcoming Book Clubs at Nooks! Nooks' Substack Maile's Substack Shawn's Substack Nooks' Instagram Page Nooks' Events Page

Music by Copcar Karaoke Art by Ned Bustard

*All book links connect you to our Bookshop.org site where our book shop will receive a generous portion of your purchase.

Today Maile and I are joined by our son Cade who occasionally works in the bookshop this summer while home from college. He shares the book series that changed his mind about chapter books when he was young, the first four books Shawn gave him when he was old enough for the general market, and we do a deep-dive into one of his favorite authors: Fredrik Backman (and his latest book, My Friends).

Books mentioned during the conversation:

The Original Adventures of Hank the Cow Dog by John Erickson The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton Lord of the Flies by William Golding Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman Beartown by Fredrik Backman Us Against You by Fredrik Backman The Winners by Fredrik Backman Anxious People by Fredrik Backman My Friends by Fredrik Backman The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner The Antidote by Karen Russell The Brothers K by David James Duncan 11/22/63 by Stephen King Dark Matter by Blake Crouch Here One Moment by Lianne Moriarty Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver This is Happiness by Niall Williams All the Beauty in the World by Patrick Bringley The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton Florida by Lauren Groff Connect with us!

Order From Our Bookshop.org Page! Upcoming Book Clubs at Nooks! Nooks' Substack Maile's Substack Shawn's Substack Nooks' Instagram Page Nooks' Events Page

Music by Copcar Karaoke Art by Ned Bustard

*All book links connect you to our Bookshop.org site where our book shop will receive a generous portion of your purchase.

"Book-selling has always been precarious with different challenges along the way."

What happens when a historian delves into the journey of the American bookshop? You get a beautiful, indepth tale of ideas, community, and the role of the book. What was it like to browse the old corner bookstore in the 1840s? What's the story behind some of our quirkiest bookshops? And how does the history of the bookshop perhaps chart a path for today's stores?

We spent time chatting with Evan Friss, author of The Bookshop, and what a conversation!

Books mentioned during the conversation:

The Book Shop by Evan Friss Twist by Colum McCann Monsters by Claire Dederer The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green Connect with us!

Order From Our Bookshop.org Page! Upcoming Book Clubs at Nooks! Nooks' Substack Maile's Substack Shawn's Substack Nooks' Instagram Page Nooks' Events Page

Music by Copcar Karaoke Art by Ned Bustard

*All book links connect you to our Bookshop.org site where our book shop will receive a generous portion of your purchase.

Today we're pulling back the curtain on one of our recent events and releasing the recording of our live conversation with Jeff Chu about his new book, Good Soil. Jeff is kind, gracious, and has some really wise things to say about how farming, death, and how to interact with those we deeply disagree with.

Books mentioned during the conversation:

Good Soil by Jeff Chu Connect with us!

Order From Our Bookshop.org Page! Upcoming Book Clubs at Nooks! Nooks' Substack Maile's Substack Shawn's Substack Nooks' Instagram Page Nooks' Events Page

Music by Copcar Karaoke Art by Ned Bustard

*All book links connect you to our Bookshop.org site where our book shop will receive a generous portion of your purchase.

Depression. Traditional Gender Roles. Marriage and a business.

Today we take a personal turn and talk about a few of the hard aspects of running a business with your spouse. What do you do when one of you needs to check out because of grief or depression or weariness or life chaos?

When it comes to running a business, how can traditional gender roles lead to burnout? And what does it take for a family to press reset on the day-to-day responsibilities that everyone bears?

Books mentioned during the conversation:

Fair Play by Eve Rodsky A Day at the Beach by Gary Schmidt and Ron Koertge The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt Mexikid by Pedro Martin Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury Connect with us!

Order From Our Bookshop.org Page! Upcoming Book Clubs at Nooks! Nooks' Substack Maile's Substack Shawn's Substack Nooks' Instagram Page Nooks' Events Page

Music by Copcar Karaoke Art by Ned Bustard

*All book links connect you to our Bookshop.org site where our book shop will receive a generous portion of your purchase.

Why did Maile think, after finishing The Bookshop, "Good gracious, we have it stacked against us"?

Last week we went to a Fredrik Backman author event and he spoke about writing, how mental health issues have inspired his book, and his process (chaos, chaos, chaos, book!). Backman wondered if he still has the ability to keep going, and we wonder what it's like for an author to retire.

We also talk about violence in literature--what's its purpose? Does it have a place in books for young people?

Books mentioned during the conversation:

My Friends by Fredrik Backman Death at Wentwater Court by Carola Dunn The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander Outer Dark by Cormac McCarthy Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy The Road by Cormac McCarthy Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins The Book Shop by Evan Friss Little Sister Death by William Gay I Hate to See That Evening Sun Go Down by William Gay Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout

Connect with us!

Order From Our Bookshop.org Page! Upcoming Book Clubs at Nooks! Nooks' Substack Maile's Substack Shawn's Substack Nooks' Instagram Page Nooks' Events Page

Music by Copcar Karaoke Art by Ned Bustard

*All book links connect you to our Bookshop.org site where our book shop will receive a generous portion of your purchase.

One week ago, Maile heard water coming into the book shop through the ceiling. By the time she came back with a bucket, water was pouring down and pieces of the ceiling were coming with it.

Today we're talking about hitting low points during the pursuit of your dream, and what to do next.

Books mentioned during the conversation:

We Do Not Part by Han Kang The Vegeterian by Han Kang Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green Little Sister Death by William Gay Finding Me by Viola Davis Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout Mexikid by Pedro Martin My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You I'm Sorry by Fredrick Backman The Bookshop by Evan Friss A Day at the Beach by Gary Schmidt by Ron Koertge The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Connect with us!

Order From Our Bookshop.org Page! Upcoming Book Clubs at Nooks! Nooks' Substack Maile's Substack Shawn's Substack Nooks' Instagram Page Nooks' Events Page

Music by Copcar Karaoke Art by Ned Bustard

*All book links connect you to our Bookshop.org site where our book shop will receive a generous portion of your purchase.

Today, Maile and I are talking about our first year as book shop owners. How has this year changed us? Do we view books differently than we did before owning a book store?

We also chat about a book we've both read that is a beautiful example of what a book written in the 1st person can accomplish--it's quirky and haunting and unexpected. Happy one year to Nooks!

Books mentioned during the conversation:

Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk Brothers K by David James Duncan We Do Not Part by Han Kang The Vegeterian by Han Kang Little Sister Death by William Gay Finding Me by Viola Davis

Connect with us!

Order From Our Bookshop.org Page! Upcoming Book Clubs at Nooks! Nooks' Substack Maile's Substack Shawn's Substack Nooks' Instagram Page Nooks' Events Page

Music by Copcar Karaoke Art by Ned Bustard

*All book links connect you to our Bookshop.org site where our book shop will receive a generous portion of your purchase.

Recently we had a customer come into the shop and tell us that if we didn't begin using this new tool, we would go out of business while other bookstores raced ahead into the future. But what's the true cost of using AI when it comes to creative endeavors? And can we still run businesses and make a living without it, or will those of us who decide against using it fall by the wayside?

We also talk about the upcoming Indie Bookstore Day, the cost of not shopping local, and, as usual, the books we've recently finished or are currently reading.

Books mentioned during the conversation:

Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk Bossy Pants by Tina Fey The Wild Robot by Peter Brown Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston North Woods by Daniel Mason Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout Here One Moment by Leanne Moriarty

Connect with us!

Order From Our Bookshop.org Page! Upcoming Book Clubs at Nooks! Nooks' Substack Maile's Substack Shawn's Substack Nooks' Instagram Page Nooks' Events Page

Music by Copcar Karaoke Art by Ned Bustard

*All book links connect you to our Bookshop.org site where our book shop will receive a generous portion of your purchase.

Today we're continuing with the theme of courage. As Maile and I approach the one year anniversary of taking over Nooks, we talk with another couple who have truly stepped out over the cliff's edge and followed their dream: Will and Emma Haughery. A few years ago they started their own furniture making company, East Otis, and today we're talking with them about leaving traditional employment, the tradeoffs that occur, and what gives them the courage to keep going.

Connect with East Otis at Instagram or their website.

Connect with us!

Order From Our Bookshop.org Page! Nooks' Substack Maile's Substack Shawn's Substack Nooks' Instagram Page Nooks' Events Page

Music by Copcar Karaoke Art by Ned Bustard

*All book links connect you to our Bookshop.org site where our book shop will receive a generous portion of your purchase.